Research

Current Research
Research in the Conservation Ecology Group centres around questions related to the conservation of species and improving our understanding of ecological systems, to improve management, now and into the future. Our research encompasses five principal research areas. Details of individual projects can be accessed via the people page. We have a regular seminar series and we meet weekly for lab meetings.

Impacts of climate change on species

Human influenced climate change has impacted on natural systems markedly over recent decades and is forecast to have more pronounced effects in future. Research in the group focuses on developing and testing models to project the impacts of climate change on species, and on applying models to contemporary and future climates to inform conservation planning. Linked with the themes of landscape conservation and population ecology (below), we strive to develop models that forecast potential climate impacts on species, ecosystems and conservation networks, and that incorporate species traits to produce realistic scenarios of change. Recent and ongoing questions in this area include:

How well will current protected area networks serve to protect species into the future?
Are there indications that recent climate change is already having widespread impacts on species?
To what extent will species be capable of tracking changing climatic conditions over coming decades?
How should we adapt conservation planning to accommodate climate change in conservation strategies?
In which situations might it become necessary to assist species to colonise newly suitable areas?

Landscape conservation

Although protected areas are a vital tool for the conservation of rare species, the wider landscape is equally important for conserving many species. Our landscape research interests include understanding how species use the wider landscape and we have developed models to simulate the spread of species, both native and alien, through landscapes. Our landscape interests also extend beyond species conservation into the field of ecosystem services, with a particular interest in cultural service provision. Working with conservation organisations, areas of research interest include:

What impact will fragmented landscapes have in limiting species range changes under climate change?
How is the abundance of species in the wider landscape related to climate, habitat and metapopulation
ecology?
How does the configuration of grassland burning as a management tool affect non-focal species?
How do nomadic species respond to severe climatic fluctuations across the Australian interior?
What factors in modern urban/suburban landscapes affect species richness?
How is biodiversity related to cultural services such as nature-based tourism and to human well-being?
How might the global landscape be configured in the future to accommodate both people and biodiversity?

Population ecology

Much modern conservation is now conducted at a landscape scale. Nevertheless, prioritisation and indicators of success rely heavily on information about the status of, and impacts of management on, populations. In this context, we are interested in methods for monitoring populations, the interpretation of monitoring data, and linking population changes to their underlying environmental drivers. Drivers of population change include climate (see above) - but also predation and resource availability, disease, fire management and disturbance.
Some examples of recent, current and ongoing questions in this area include:

How can we refine the interpretation of indirect indices of abundance (such as track counts or camera trapping data)?
What determines the lower limits to population density?
How does sarcoptic mange impact on the population dynamics of red foxes in the UK?
How do ecotourism, climate, hunting and predation impact on specific populations of deer within
Europe?
How will climate uncertainty impact on policies for sustainable offtake of African antelope?
What can we learn from long term mortality data on mammals such as alpine chamois and red foxes?

Invasion ecology

Introduced New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax) covering a hillside on St Helena, a heavily invaded oceanic island.

The introduction of species from where they evolved to new parts of the world is now occurring at an unprecedented rate, with rising numbers of introductions on every continent. This global biotic exchange has consequences for the composition and functioning of communities and ecosystems as new interactions between introduced and resident species are forged. Some introduced species may become so abundant and widespread, that they can alter community dynamics and ecosystem processes, sometimes to the detriment of resident species. Our research addresses important questions about the causes and consequences of these invasions by introduced species:

How do invasive species interact with resident species, and what ecological and socio-economic impacts result from those interactions?
Can we predict which introduced species are most likely to become invasive, so that introduction can be avoided?
Can we make evidence-based, cost-effective decisions on which invasive species should be prioritised for management or control?
Why are some habitats, communities and regions more vulnerable to invasions than others?
What are the evolutionary consequences of invasions, and are those consequences predictable?